Tribulation of the Jedi
by Author1911
Summary: A new progression of Revenge of the Sith. Starts in the Chancellor's Office with Anakin having to choose between Mace and Palpatine and the consequences of his choice. There are some things in the Galaxy more dangerous than the Sith. It's up to Anakin to decide the price of victory. Rated M to give me free reign to just let the story go where it may.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N Ok this is my first SW story. I always appreciate constructive criticism in reviews. I'm terrible at uploads but I post as soon as I have finished writing chapters. I hope I can keep y'all entertained and you find my writing enjoyable.**

"Don't listen to him Anakin!" Mace urged.

Bolts of Sith lightning rippled and bounced off of the purple lightsaber. The bolts reflected back toward Palpatine. His face twisted and distorted at the effects of the pure Sith energy.

"Don't let him kill me" Palpatine begged as more and more lightning gnarled and wrenched his body. "I can't hold it any longer."

The Chancellor's powers waned and faltered. The onslaught of lightning ended and he dropped his hands. Mace pointed his sabre toward the deformed creature.

"Anakin, help me" Palpatine cried.

"I'm going to end this. Once. And for all." Mace growled.

"You can't. He must stand trial." Anakin exclaimed.

"He has control of the Senate and the Courts. He's too dangerous to be left alive."

Palpatine whimpered and begged for his life.

"It is _not_ the Jedi way. He must live." Anakin said with fear. "I need him."

Mace raised his sabre to strike down the Sith Lord. But to Anakin the world slowed. As if the entire galaxy came to a halt. Anakin could feel what was going to happen. The consequences of what he wanted to do. He saw a future of suffering and death. Pain and sorrow. Himself turned into the monster he had always fought against. Thousands upon thousands to die all because of him. Anakin knew the price of Palpatine's death. Was Padme worth it? Could he watch her die to avoid the chaos that he would sow? His choice was made.

"NO!"

The Chancellor unleashed another volley of lightning toward the exposed Jedi Master. Anakin stepped in between Mace and Palpatine and took the full brunt of the lightning. He cried in agony as his body absorbed the lightning. When Count Dooku had wielded this power against him before it had been painful but this was completely unbearable. The felt his body twist and convulse from the surge of power. His skin burned as his body took in the energy. He extended his hands to guard himself.

The Force flowed through him and made a barrier that absorbed the lightning. The energy fueled and strengthened Anakin. With every passing second Anakin's power grew. Welling up inside him like water behind a dam that could hold no more.

"Without me, she will die." Palpatine threatened in anger.

Anakin's rage swelled inside him. The threat against Padme unlocked a new drive and power locked deep inside him.

"NO!" Anakin roared.

He summoned up all the power he had just taken in. He focused it into raw Force energy and unleashed it unto Palpatine. It came out of his hands in a form of white lightning. The intensity burned a focused hole into Papatine's chest. The lightning subsided and Anakin's arms slumped to his side. Anakin was drained of all his energy. He fell to his knees in sheer exhaustion. He felt himself falling toward the open city. The last thing he felt before slipping into unconsciousness were the hands of Master Windu pulling him in to safety.


	2. Chapter 2

Lifeless. That's about the best way Anakin could describe what he felt. Numb and hollow. His mind swam in an empty void without form and feeling. There was something there with him. He couldn't tell what it was, but it was there. Like a pin in his mind. As he focused more on it the faster it would vanish.

He slowly felt himself start to reconnect with his body and his mind started to clear. He reached out with the force to understand where he was. All he remembered was his fight with the Chancellor and killing him. After that he slipped into the void. Now he was somewhere else. He couldn't tell where. His mind brushed against something familiar. Someone familiar.

He attempted to move his arms, but he could only feel one, his prosthetic was not there. He felt his fingers twitch. His efforts to move his body were in vain as he felt far too weak. He felt the person close on him and rest next to him

"Anakin? Can you hear me?" Master Windu said.

"Yes, Master." Anakin said weakly.

Anakin's eyes cracked and saw Master Windu standing above him. He held an expression of great concern. Anakin scanned his surrounding and recognized the Temple medical wing. He was resting on a bed with medical instruments analyzing him.

"How do you feel Anakin?" Mace questioned.

Anakin stuttered a reply, "I don't know. I feel twisted and torn apart. What happened?"

"You're a hero Anakin," Mace replied, "You stopped the Chancellor and saved me."

Anakin felt completely out of place, "How long have I been out?"

"Three weeks." Mace noted the look of shock and processing, "You suffered much in your confrontation with the Chancellor." Mace paused as Anakin started to slip away, "You need to rest Anakin. Obi-wan will be pleased you have awoken."

Anakin could tell he was fighting his body. There were so many questions festering in his mind. What had happened in three weeks? Was the war still going on? Was Obi-wan safe? Was Padme? Padme! Was she ok? Was their child ok? Three weeks, could she have already given birth yet. His mind started to cloud as he felt Mace send soothing waves toward him. He slowly slipped back into the nothingness of sleep.

* * *

When Anakin awoke again he was alone and it was night. The lights of the city planet poured through his room window. He felt stronger and was able to move on his own. He quickly sat up and heaved his legs over the edge of his bed. He then assessed himself. He was still missing his prosthetic arm and he was dressed in the white linen medical tunic.

When he rose to his feet he was shaky and off balance. He steadied himself and moved toward the door. He keyed the open button and it whooshed open. The bright white light of the hall flooded and momentarily blinded him. When he had adjusted and became comfortable with the light he walked into the hallway. His bare feet silently glided over cold metallic floor. The halls were barren of life. Anakin was always amazed by the silent peace of the Jedi Temple late at night

He wondered for 10 minutes before he stopped at a window looking out toward the city. Skylanes as always were filled with speeders. Spaceships were coming and going. A Venator-Class Star Destroyer was coming in to dock. He could see the Senate building and in the distance from there he could see his home. No doubt Padme would be sleeping peacefully and beautiful as ever.

He closed his eyes and focused his mind to touch the Force. He attempted to reach out the distance and brush with Padme's mind. Just to let her know that he was still there with her. When he couldn't achieve his goal, he opened his eyes and refocused his gazed. His reflection stared at him.

Yet it was no longer HIS reflection. His hair had been cut short like it was when he was an apprentice. But that wasn't the change that stirred him. The right side of his face had been warped and twisted into a grotesque burn scar. It stretched from just below his eye, down across his cheek, over his ear, and down his neck.

Anakin closed his eyes. He now looked like the horrible monster he knew was inside him. His premonition in the Chancellor's chambers granted him insight to the fact somewhere in his soul was the very thing he sworn to stand against. Now, his very face was marked to reflect it.

He opened his eyes to a figure looking at him from outside the window. The figure's face was beast like, with black and maroon skin, and yellow eyes. He bared razor sharp teeth in a terrifying smile. Anakin was overwhelmed by the dark side aura his presence gave off.

In reaction, Anakin raised his hand and unleashed a devastating blast of kinetic energy toward him. The glass shattered under the blast and an alarm sounded in the hall. When shards cleared from his view Anakin found the figure vanished as if he had never been there. Anakin approached the open window and scanned around. He looked out toward the open air and down the hundreds of feet to the ground. There wasn't any way someone could have been standing outside the window.

Jedi Orderlies rushed to his side. Exhaustion overwhelmed him, and he fell to his knees being caught by an orderly. He was quickly placed in a hover chair and pushed toward his room. Shortly unconsciousness overtook him once again.


End file.
